Day 1 began with a bus ride from Jacaranda Hotel in Arusha to Kilimanjaro National Park. As we loaded ourselves and our gear, we met Ean, who was to be our guide for the next 7 days. After an hour or so we arrived at the Machame Gate entrance to the Park. Hikers milled all around in the morning sunshine while porters organized their loads of gear and guides obtained the required permits.

We endured a bit of a wait, but finally Ean advised us to head up the trail with Earake and Lyimo. The time was close to 11:30 a.m. when we started up toward Machame Campsite, moving "pole, pole" (slowly, slowly). Amy, James, and Omar went in front, with Jacque and I following. The trail began as a relatively smooth 4-wheel-drive track, and then changed to a well-maintained trail. There was no mud, and the trail was in many places covered with rock cinders, providing a very nice surface.

We hiked for 5 hours to reach Machame Campsite, stopping for a lunch break, where Ean caught up to us. We took one other short rest break along the trail. There were a number of other parties on the route, along with what would become the usual procession of porters rapidly passing us on their way up the mountain. We were united in our respect and admiration for the strength of the porters. Their speed and endurance were amazing, as they carried loads of up to 40 pounds or so, in addition to their own gear, from camp to camp.

The Machame Campsite offered great views of Kibo and the surrounding heather zone. We had popcorn, peanuts, and tea in the mess tent. After sorting out our tents and gear for the night, we had a dinner of soup, fish-and-chips, and avocado. The constant beverage was hot tea, although some team members would mix hot chocolate. All the water we consumed on the mountain was boiled by the cook, but some of us used iodine tablets to ensure its safety before drinking. We didn't use iodine in the tea water, though, but had no problems.

It was good to have the first day behind us, and the group was in excellent spirits. I began to realize that our team was coming together easily, and I was thankful to have such terrific individuals in our group. Although the first day was a long one, the actual hiking was not difficult, by the standard of what was to come in the following days. The trail was only moderately steep in places, and the condition of the trail was for the most part excellent.

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